James g



@with tttrs @anni AMES e. GUMMINGS, oF COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI.

i Letters Patent No. 67,961, dated August 20, 18672 IMPROVEMENT IN .COTTON-PRESS. l Y

TO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CON CERN:

Be it known that LJAMES G. CUMMINGWO' Columbus, in the county of Lowndes, and State of Mississippi,

-have invented anew and useful Improvement in Cotton-Press; and I do hereby declare that the following is a.

fnll, clear, and. exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and usethesame, reference being hadrto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whieh- I Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improved cotton-press taken in the plane -of the line :v a', iig. 5, showing it in position before the cotton is pressed. i l i Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same taken in. the lineg;l y, iig. 2, showing the press in position after -the cotton has been pressed.

Figure 4 islfa. par-tial. en d view of one side.

Figure 5 is a top view of the press.

Figure 6 is a detached view of a part of the gearing at the bottom.

Similar letters of lreference indicate like parts. Y

This invention relates to improvements in the constrnctionoi` aV press for packing cotton and othersubstances in halcsby horse-power oir any convenient motor especially adapted to use on cotton plantations, which improvement consists in the arrangement ot' gearing,.in connection with along upright rectangular clh'estor trunk for containing the cotton to be pressed, in such manner that by the revolution of the chest on a. vertical axis a follower shall rise gradually from the bottom ot' the chest by means of a screw unt-il the libre .is compressed. and packed into a small compass-for baling in a proper compartment at the top of the chest. i A represents the rectangular packing-,box'or trunk constructed of wood of ordinary proportions for forming a cotton-bale, which s set up endwise upon proper foundationsrto bel revolved by gearing underneath, as herein described. The upper end of the packing-trunk A is made with doors or lapsfa a o n all sides, hinged at the lower end so as to fall outward when opened. They are held fast by hinged clutch-bars b b and buttons b b on Vthe two widersides, and ordinary drop-bars b2 bz' on the two narrow sides. The upper head-block B is suspended upon groovcd wheels or rollers dd, 'which run on the top of the rail-track e e, which projects from one ofthe narrow sides of theipacking-trnnk A.. The packing-trunk is turned around for the purpose of' pressing thevcotton by means ofvgearing underneath. A large bevel-wheel, C, is secured to tle bottom, and engages in asialler bevel-wheel, C, on `the end of a horizontal shaft, g, whichcarries a driving-pulley, D, on its ou'ter end, and is hung on a foundation frame, G. The rim of the bevel-wheel C projects beyond the cogs to form an annular track resting ontwo rollers It h, which are hung in brackets on the frame G, and .in connection with the small bevel-wheel C form la' tripodsupport for the trunk A.. A vertical travelling screw, E, passes through and works in the hnb of the large bevel-wheel C, secured by a feather and groove, the lower end of which screw descends into a cavity below, as shown in {ig/1, and the upper'end of which travels in the tru'nk A and carries on its extremity ai'oll'ower, F, for pressing thercotton, as shown by iig.A 3. The hub z' sets in 1v step, lc, fastened to the foundation frame Gf.' The travelling screw E will be made with double or treble threads for plantation use where powc'i` is limited when required. The inside'faces of the followei` F and the head-block B are grooved transversely'in the ordinary way for receiving the hoopsorropes for ba'lingf'. Instead of employing gearing to work with horse or steam-power the press may be operated with manualpower by means of a lever, m, indicated in red, run through the staples n n at the lower end on one side of the trunk A..

The generaloperation of the pressjs manifest vand needs nsexplanatilon. When the bale of cotton has been hcoped or raped and taken out ofthepress the flap-doors a a are closed and the head-block Bis run out on-thc rail-track c-e, leaving the top of the trunk A open, when the work of filling it for the next bale may bc'at once begun and'performed, whilelthc screwE travels back to the bottom.A I

Having thus described the construction `and operation of my invention, whatl claim as'new,V adydesiie to secure by Letters Patent, i,s- *l l'. The bevel-wheel C, provided withthe projecting rim, forming an annular track resting on rollers L It, and having the hubz' for the passage oi' the screw F, step K, which bears the bevel-wheel C, andis secured to the frame C and trunk A, when all are constructed and arranged as' herein set forth for the purpose specified.

- 2. I claim also the shifting head-blockl B, in combination with the rollers d d, the rail-track e e, and the trunk A, arrapged and operatingsnbstantiallp as and for the purposes herein described.

" A I JAMES G QUM'MINGS` Witnesses: fr t B. W. HIGKMAN, J. W. RICHEY. 

